Family to name their Giant Can in memory of their “loving” Rainer

A family devastated by the loss of a much-loved uncle, brother-in-law and brother with a “loving heart” who passed away suddenly and unexpected are to name their ‘can’ in his memory.

They will continue to serve traditional German dishes in their festival ‘can’.

Mr Stefan Schenkelberg said the family had several ideas for the name but that Gourmet Express Mobile Catering’s Rainer’s Bavarian Grill “was the only name my wife liked.

He added that: “Nearly everyone that knew Rainer has said the same – he would have loved for his brother’s family in distant London to have their trading pitch and a crowd of customers in London. He would have wished to see Stefan being able to re-dress their trading vehicle in the Bavarian colors; this will surely open up new opportunities – a stepping stone to new prominent trading spots in Central London. Rainer loved Stefan’s home-made German curry sauce the most and he was recently full of praise when he learnt of the company’s deal with London wholesalers to purchase imported German wurst. It was only a dream for the Schenkelberg’s but early this year a London trading space has been allocated. This dream is now set to become reality, but sadly after the passing of Rainer.

Rainer was 54 years of age and truly lived a life beyond anybody’s belief. A highly intelligent lad, he communicated with his relatives in Potters Bar using a head-band and a PC and he read with great interest news and updates about the ‘can’. He wasn’t able either to speak or to walk suffering from cerebral palsy since his birth.

“I think he’d be excited and pleased for the family.”

Mr Schenkelberg feels that people in Potters Bar had been supportive of new progress for the ‘can,’ to open a food shop 17km down the road from where the business can become a serious contender in the small world of London’s German specialities. As a reminder, Stefan hit the headlines in Potters Bar some 11 months ago when he was running the London marathon in aid of his brother; Monies raised at the can was collected for Action Medical Research, a charity to help sick and disabled children. “We will of course continue to raise much needed funds for this charity and the newly formed company has already adopted a policy to include not only the continuation of air fryers as healthy cooking alternatives but also and most importantly supportive activities to help the charity,” Stefan pointed out. “My brother is dead but many children will be born and we want to make sure that they stay healthy, so we hope this year will be a year to give generously to Action Medical Research,” he replied when asked about the companies’ charity of the year 2014.

“We needed words of encouragement after Rainer passed away. Death struck twice within six months. The death was a terrible tragedy, yet another one of the family’s greatest advocates of German food for London had to go. We’ve had an amazing amount of positive comments from many customers and fans alike, many of whom we met during the course of our trading when we went out with our Coca Cola shaped iconic looking food wagon to spoil the taste buds of our friends, the Brits. New strategies will hopefully make the change and we can continue to support customers and, what we consider as the greatest challenge, the London community with our new designed food truck at large,” he said.

“The loss of a close family member who was paralysed is something no family should have to live with, especially when the family’s hope, dreams and aspirations to support that member by being nearby was destroyed some 20 years ago when they departed their homeland for America and later the United Kingdom following the experience of crime and corruption. “We really have just begun to resume normal lives in a foreign land” Mrs Schenkelberg said when pointing out new challenges to grow their food business.

“But when you haven’t fulfilled the pledge of returning to support the people caring for my brother, first and foremost my beloved mother, Mrs Irmgard Schenkelberg (78), bearer of one of the highest civilian awards granted by the German Government for the care and dedication she has afforded to the sick and housebound, when illness and age becomes a burden, it’s hard to bear,” Stefan points out.

“As a family you have so many questions – like what happened after you had spoken to the person just a couple of days before his death. You go over every detail of your relationship with your brother.

“Like many brothers and sisters, we support each other. Generally, you want to make sure you are close to your brother or sister when they are ill and not able to communicate with each other, other than through face-to-face meetings. We were however close in spirit and thoughts. Still, it’s hard when you’re not given the chance to try and support them by being available to them any time.

“When you grow up with a brother who is restricted due to the worst form of cerebral palsy you worry the more about the things that are out of your control – childhood illness, accidents and the dangers that are out there. You don’t stop to think of the difficulties of their life qualities when they get older.
“I know Rainer’s mom, myself and our family will never get over it. It’s always going to be there.”
“Re-opening our catering van in Bavarian colors will be our tribute to Rainer.”

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The owners acted risky. The niche operation at Islington was improperly launched without having the proper funding to afford a necessary advertising campaign before and after. However, they were aware that their funding was due to become available. It was the goodwill of the Nags Head Market Management that encouraged the mobile food operators to move into the premises prematurely and on relaxed conditions. Yet, this hasn’t been proven to be a viable solution when the funding wasn’t coming. The Schenkelberg couple was devastated when they felt that they had no other option but to exit within only four weeks. It was the slow moving process of a loan company. The delay caused by a finance company in combination with the slow development of gaining enough customers to sustain the operation made this move necessary.

The business couple is now urgently looking for other opportunities in London to resume their trade.